


Green-Eyed Monster in Greener Grass

by IAmMyOwnScribe



Series: Stretched Like Canvas (Steve's Color Spectrum) [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Artist Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner & Steve Rogers friendship, Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, Gen, Hey I think I just came up with something-Serum Bros!, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Nightmares, Post-Avengers (2012), Pre-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2019-01-17 02:59:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12356067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAmMyOwnScribe/pseuds/IAmMyOwnScribe
Summary: “Hey, Steve?”“Yeah?”  The blonde turned, looking curiously over his shoulder.“What’s your favorite color?”Steve’s lips quirked upwards as if he was smiling at an inside joke Bruce wasn’t aware of.OR:	In which Steve comforts Bruce.





	Green-Eyed Monster in Greener Grass

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I'm so excited to post my very first fanfic! It's not actually my first, just the first fic I've ever finished. I have a ton of WIPs, and I honestly don't know what drove me to finish this. Inspiration just struck one day and I had to write this down because I love fics about Bruce and Steve's friendship--they just seem like they'd get along really well.
> 
> This is the first fic of a series I've been planning to do called "Stretched Like Canvas." Hopefully, I'll get the next stories out soon.
> 
> This has not been betaed, so all mistakes are my own.
> 
> Disclaimer: The Avengers are the property of Marvel Studios. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was not written for profit.

 

* * *

 

Green-eyed monster: The term  _“green-eyed monster”_  refers to a jealous person.

Greener grass: The expression  _“greener pastures”_  and  _“grass is greener”_  are used in reference to something newer or better.

                                                                                                                                                                                               -BournCreative

* * *

 

Bruce stumbled sluggishly into the communal floor, his mind awake but not completely aware of his surroundings. A cacophony of screams echoed faintly in his ears, not allowing him to forget the memories he so desperately wanted to get rid of, wanted to delete from his brain.

Nightmares sucked, to put it mildly—Tony had a much more colorful way to describe them.

The cold sweat he’d woken up in made his shirt damp and the fabric clung to his skin as he headed to the kitchen. Bruce contemplated just going back down to his floor to try and attempt to go back to sleep, but JARVIS had said that Steve was still awake.

Forcing one foot in front of the other, Bruce shuffled into the kitchen only to find that the blonde wasn’t there yet. He went about setting a kettle on the stove and preparing two cups of jasmine tea, knowing that the super soldier would come down soon. He always did.

The scientist was pouring the tea into two mugs when the elevator doors opened with a soft _ping_ and Steve walked out.

“Hey, Bruce.”

He nodded in greeting as Steve set the sketchbook in his hand, along with the box of pencils and pens he liked to use, on the table. Soon after the team started living together, everyone had learned that the super soldier loved to carry them around in case inspiration struck or he simply felt in the mood to draw.

As always, Steve sat opposite of him and went to work. They sat in comfortable silence, permeated only by the gentle scratch of a pencil on paper.

Very few things in his life could be described by the word “comfortable” and Bruce loved how much he could use it to describe what he and Steve had during bad nights. That something good came out of times like these was difficult to believe.

As usual, Steve set his sketch aside for a moment and asked him, “Do you want to talk about it?”

JARVIS had, after all, called him down because Bruce had had a nightmare.

Shaking his head in the negative, Bruce took a sip of his tea—almost hiding behind the mug—hoping that it could mask the shame on his face. The taller man simply nodded in understanding and went back to sketching. But when Bruce didn’t ask JARVIS to pull up something for him to read, Steve looked up again, a rueful sort of half-smile on his face.

“That bad, huh?” he asked.

The scientist, grateful for the lack of pity in Steve’s voice, managed to croak out a helpless, “Yeah.”

Putting his pencil down, Steve reached across the table to pat his hand soothingly and gave him an empathetic smile. Bruce swelled internally with warmth at the small gesture before the blonde retracted his hand and took a sip of his tea. This time, though, instead of going back to sketching, Steve did something different: he started talking.

“You know I was color blind before the serum, right?”

Bruce didn’t have to answer. He knew Steve knew what his answer was.

“Did know the first color I ever saw was red?”

The brunette blinked in confusion but listened as the younger—older?—man picked up his pencil and began to sketch as he kept talking.

“Of course, it wasn’t the _first_ color. When I came out of the pod, I saw all these dull browns and grays and I could always see white, but the first color I ever _really_ saw was red. Peggy always wore bright red lipstick.”

Bruce knew. He’d seen the files Tony had shown him of the great woman he considered to be his aunt and seen Steve’s sketches of the woman he loved. The blonde smiled reminiscently as he carefully and purposefully erased a line.

“I remember thinking, ‘What the _h***_ is that color?’ when she stood in front of me, right after, ‘It worked!’ and ‘I’m so tall!’”

Bruce smiled at the exaggerated voices Steve used to narrate his thoughts. Once they got to know each other, it didn’t take long for Steve to reveal his “dorky side”—Natasha’s words, not his. Personally, he enjoyed being with this side of the blonde. The iconic image of Captain America made it hard to believe that Steve wasn’t even 30 yet.

The scientist’s eyes were glued to Steve’s hand, watching the pencil fly across the paper as he waited for his friend to continue.

Steve huffed sadly. “Imagine my surprise when I figure out her lipstick is red because it’s the same color of Dr. Erskine’s blood. I didn’t have to ask what color it was because at that point I got into enough fights to know blood was red.”

He switched the pencil he was using out for a different, darker one and Bruce watched him in fascination as he shaded tactfully to add depth to the drawing.

“Anyway, during my…” Steve blushed in embarrassment, “…uh, USO tours, I asked the girls to name the colors for me. I wanted to try and decide what my favorite one was.”

Nimble fingers artistically smudged lines to bring them to life.

“Then I wake up in the 21st century, and Tony ends up giving me an entire studio when he finds out I like to draw.”

The two chuckled over the antics of their eccentric genius friend, shaking their heads fondly.

“I don’t think he realizes that I’ve only ever used charcoal and pencils until I came out of the ice, but the watercolors and paints and canvases he stocked up for me are _beautiful_. Hopefully, I can learn how to use them properly. I never knew how lacking my art was until I could finally see for myself.”

Steve used a calligraphy pen to sign his name on the bottom of the page and closed the sketchbook before reaching for his tea. Bruce belatedly realized that he’d been too distracted to notice what the drawing looked like.

They spent the next few moments finishing up their tea before it got cold. Suddenly, Bruce’s mouth decided to work and he didn’t know where the words that made it past his lips came from.

“A work of art lacking something doesn’t necessarily mean it’s anything less than a masterpiece. Nothing’s perfect.”

The super soldier smiled, meeting the other man’s deep gaze.

“If that’s the case,” he opened his book and carefully ripped out the page he had been working on, “then, I guess even imperfections can be masterpieces.”

Steve’s tone was innocent as if his words didn’t have a hidden meaning to them. “After all, it depends on perspective, doesn’t it?”

His smile grew wider as he handed the white sheet to the other man. Bruce looked down at the drawing and his eyes widened in surprise. Steve pretended not to notice.

Slowly gathering his things and putting away his empty cup, the blonde stood up to leave. He placed a warm hand on Bruce’s shoulder like he knew the weight resting on them became a little lighter, and said, “Maybe you should try getting some more sleep?”

The scientist smiled, eyes glued to his gift. “I’ll try. Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Bruce didn’t have to look back to know Steve was grinning.

Before the super soldier could step into the elevator, Bruce called out to him. “Hey, Steve?”

“Yeah?” The blonde turned, looking curiously over his shoulder.

“What’s your favorite color?”

Steve’s lips quirked upwards as if he was smiling at an inside joke Bruce wasn’t aware of.

“Green.” He stepped into the elevator. “I think you wear it quite nicely, _Dr. Banner_.”

The scientist laughed as he felt something warm and _comfortable_ spread throughout his body. He didn’t notice the triumphant smile that was plastered on Steve’s face when the elevator doors closed.

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

Bruce was able to get more sleep that night.

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

The next day, Bruce didn’t see much of Steve aside from team meals. The picture frame JARVIS had ordered for the scientist arrived, and the beautiful drawing of Bruce hard at work with the Hulk looming over him and watching curiously sat proudly on his desk in his lab. If Tony noticed it when he came in, he didn’t say anything.

When they were washing the dishes after dinner, Steve asked Bruce to come with him down to his studio. Putting away the last dish, the scientist followed an excited Steve up to his floor.

The super-soldier opened the door to his art studio which was illuminated by the city lights that shined through the large floor-to-ceiling windows. At the center of the room sat a canvas hidden by a tarp. Steve turned on the lights, walked up to it and pulled the sheet off.

Bruce took a step back, overwhelmed.

“Thought I’d practice with watercolors,” Steve explained.

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

Bruce hung the canvas up in his lab on the wall opposite of the doors.

 

**Author's Note:**

> If someone could find the artist of the image and help me give credit to them, that would be awesome! Also, please give ideas for any tags you think I'm missing.
> 
> I'm sure you all noticed how I wrote "h***" instead of the actual word, but that's just because I feel uncomfortable using profanity or colorful language, although some of you probably don't think it's a "bad word". It's just a personal preference.
> 
> Now I know you guys don't want to read another message like this, but if you enjoyed the story leave a comment or review (I'm not against constructive criticism :D). It'll mean so much to me since like I said, this is the first story I've ever posted. Thanks a lot and have a fantastic day!


End file.
